Comments: Why "Islamofascism" is a bad term
Comment by Joseph Hayyim:

That would be "great Muslim [yoke] from little Arabian acorns". If 'Islam' means 'submission' [it does] then 'yoke' is the correct term.

Posted at 2007-10-28 11:54:22 [PermaLink]
Comment by Raphael Alexander:

I agree that the term is associated incorrectly. I think radical Islamism is like any radical form of theocracy whereby the concept of a global state of theocratic rule is sought by one religion. Only because of it's expansionist and aggressive reputation is Islam considered in line with fascism, but christianity could very well have been deemed fascist at any point in former centuries where religion was brought with the sword.

Islamofascism also incorrectly makes a cognitive association that the religion as a whole is flawed by the actions of the few. Christian fundamentalists do not taint the whole, and yet Islamists do. The negative aspects of the ideology of fascism are incorrectly attributed to a form of radical Islam, which in economical terms could even be deemed communistic, thus defeating the purpose of the narrative in which it is used.

Posted at 2007-10-28 12:56:20 [PermaLink]
Comment by Real Conservative:

We are still fighting the war decades later are we? The boogey man is the fascist and the commie gets a free ride. Fine by me, but why do we still have rich elites with socialism and communism though?

Posted at 2007-10-28 13:33:34 [PermaLink]
Comment by Sean Pelette:

"the self-evidently absurd notion that small bands of lightly armed fanatics are....a threat to the every existence of civilization"

Similar things were said about communism before 1917. Bin Laden refers to his gang of "lightly armed fanatics" as the vanguard for his brand of Islamic revolution. As did Kohmeini to the Revolutionary Guards. As did Lenin to the Bolsheviks.

Both communism and Islamism had visions of world domination from their very inception. I think it best to take their ambitions seriously.

Posted at 2007-10-28 13:57:45 [PermaLink]
Comment by stephen.reeves:

The left has been talking about Christian fascists in the States for years , ( Bush is their leader you know).

Posted at 2007-10-28 14:17:35 [PermaLink]
Comment by Mark G:

Can we not like it because the word looks so awkward too?

Posted at 2007-10-28 15:45:07 [PermaLink]
Comment by pst314:

"Islamofascism also incorrectly makes a cognitive association that the religion as a whole is flawed by the actions of the few."

The few? No, extremism is mainstream in Islam. Note the prevalance of preaching hatred of infidels. Note the ordinariness of violence against those who leave Islam (see Daimnation's Oct 26 post "leaving Islam") or merely dissent. Note the prevalence of violence against women and against any who think and speak freely.

Posted at 2007-10-28 19:14:04 [PermaLink]
Comment by philanthropist:

Leftists and their Islamist friends are the closest thing to the true meaning of the word fascist today. But 'Islamofascism' is a mouthful.

Posted at 2007-10-28 23:06:08 [PermaLink]
Comment by Mike James:

It matters not to me if the po wittoo muzzies get their feewings huht. I want them to worry about our feelings. I don't care why they hate us, but they'd damned well better worry about why we hate them.

We win, the Religion Of Submission loses--forever!

Posted at 2007-10-28 23:24:51 [PermaLink]
Comment by DaninVan:

?...I thought "Asshats" was the 'collective' of choice(?)!

Posted at 2007-10-29 03:51:52 [PermaLink]
Comment by old white guy:

you don't need to attach the word fascism to islam. islam is a totalitarian religion/state all on it's own. it advocates complete control through sharia of all people.

Posted at 2007-10-29 05:34:19 [PermaLink]
Comment by John B:

I think Old White Guy above has a point. Islam after all does mean "submission".

The author states when comparing Islam and fascism: "Fascism deployed state violence and warfare, not terrorism." With all due respect, Dan Gardner gets it wrong since the only reason Islamism presently uses terrorism is a lack of ability to use more conventional forms of violence.

Posted at 2007-10-29 06:34:43 [PermaLink]
Comment by Richard Aubrey:

I guess there could be said to be terms more correctly descriptive of the phenomenon. But there will always be an argument. If you don't make up a completely new word, you'll be using one previously used on a different phenomenon and that, too, will have dissimilarities.
I'm wondering why the argument in the first place. If they aren't fascists but are something else nasty, how does calling them fascist handicap us or complicate our task?

A moderate Muslim is moderately Muslim. That has no connection with whether he is moderate in the western sense.
We think we're saying a moderate who happens to be Muslim when we say moderate Muslim. No connection beyond accidental, though.

Posted at 2007-10-29 06:35:42 [PermaLink]
Comment by jmrSudbury:

Some have complained that to use the word Islam by itself is mean because Islam can still undergo a reformation. Then again, did anyone care about what they called Christians before they underwent reformation? Call a spade a spade. If moderates don't like it, they can speak up and promote reform within Islam and denounce this war designed to spread sharia law globally.

John M Reynolds

Posted at 2007-10-29 07:39:05 [PermaLink]
Comment by pst314:

"Fascism deployed state violence and warfare, not terrorism."

As a matter of fact, fascists deployed plenty of terrorism. Both Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, in the years leading up to the official start of WWII, carried out acts of terror and gave substantial aid and direction to independent fascist groups throughout Europe.

Posted at 2007-10-29 17:57:30 [PermaLink]
Comment by pst314:

To paraphrase Mussolini, "Everything within islam, nothing outside islam, nothing against islam."

Posted at 2007-10-29 18:05:39 [PermaLink]
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Posted at 2008-01-16 04:03:25 [PermaLink]
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